Belarusianrock has been developing since the early 1980s. The rock bands includeMroja (later renamed toN.R.M.), Ulis,Daj Darogu!,Kriwi,Lyapis Trubetskoy,Verasy,Open Space,Neuro Dubel, Accent, and Otrazhenie.Molchat Doma is likely the most popular band, having received 138 millionSpotify streams in 2024 and having embarked on tours in the United States and Europe.[1]
Metal bands areAsguard andTT-34.Basovišča is a Belarusian rockmusic festival organized in Gródek, Poland.[2] Other festivals included "Be Free" and "Rock-kola".[3]
There is another side to Belarusian music life which is censorship.[4] Researchers Maya Medich and Lemez Lovas reported in 2006 that "independent music-making in Belarus today is an increasingly difficult and risky enterprise", and that the Belarusian government "puts pressure on ‘unofficial’ musicians - including ‘banning’ from official media and imposing severe restrictions on live performance." In a video interview on theFreemuse [de] website, the two authors explain the mechanisms of censorship in Belarus.[5]
Another black list became known in 2011, when Krama,Krambambula,Lyapis Trubetskoy,N.R.M., Naka, Palats,Neuro Dubel among others were banned from performing concerts in Belarus.[6][7]
In January 2024, three members of the band Nizkiz, whose song "Pravily" was a protest anthem during the2020-2021 Belarusian protests, were detained inMogilev.[8]Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty later reported that the members were declared extremists and sentenced to freedom of movement restrictions for 30 months.[9]
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